USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > Reading > The history of St. Stephen's reformed church, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1884-1909; by the Rev. Thomas W. Dickert > Part 11
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The Christian Endeavor prayer and praise service, at half past six o'clock, was in charge of Mr. William J. Lowe, the president. Sev- eral special musical features added to the enjoy- ment of the occasion, and a very helpful and impressive address was delivered by Mr. Calvin D. Moser, of St. Andrew's Reformed Church.
The evening service began at half past seven o'clock and was well attended. The sermon was preached by Rev. George W. Richards, D. D., professor of Church History in the Theological Seminary at Lancaster, on the text, John 4: 38, " Others have labored, and ye have entered into their labor." His sermon was of a high order, and was very much appreciated and enjoyed by the large congregation. He spoke of the noble qualities of Dr. C. S. Gerhard, the first pastor, and congratulated the congregation on having Rev. Mr. Dickert for its present pastor, who has been so successful in adding to the fruits of
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the labors of his predecessor, and predicted a bright future for the congregation.
The order of service was as follows :
Prelude, " Prelude in G," J. Herzog; hymn, No. 423, "Oh, Could I Speak the Matchless Worth" (congregation standing); invocation, by the pastor; prayer, by the pas- tor; Psalm 103; anthem, " Praise the Lord," Caleb Sim- per ; Scripture Lessons, St. Matthew 5 : 1-16, 1 Corinthi- ans 13: 1-13; Gloria Patri ; Creed ; prayer, by the pastor ; announcements ; hymn, No. 436, "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord;" sermon, Rev. G. W. Richards, D. D., Professor of Church History, Theological Seminary, Lancaster, Pa. ; prayer, by Dr. Richards ; offertory, "Nocturne," Victor Hammerel; offering; offertory hymn, No. 361, " We Give Thee but Thine Own;" hymn, No. 679, "Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name we Raise ;" doxology ; benediction, by Dr. Richards ; postlude, "March in C," E. Batiste.
The services during the week were devoted to the different organizations of the congrega- tion.
On Monday evening, March 15, the Sunday School service was held, with the following or- der of service :
Prelude, "Meditation," G. V. Flagler ; invocation, by the pastor; hymn, No. 689, "Beautiful Savior, King of Creation ;" Psalm 23; Scripture Lessons, St. John 4: 1-26, Acts 8: 26-40, Rev. J. F. Moyer; Gloria Patri; prayer, by Dr. C. Clever; hymn, No. 688, "How Shall the Young Se- cure their Hearts?" address, Rev. C. Clever, D. D., pas- tor of Reformed church, Hagerstown, Md., and President of Sunday School Board of the General Synod of the Re- formed Church in the United States ; anthem, "Rejoice
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in the Lord," H. Katzschmar; announcements ; offertory, "Carrolling of the Birds," G. Michenz; offering; hymn, No. 719, "I Think when I Read that Sweet Story of Old;" address, Rev. Rufus W. Miller, D. D., Secretary of the Sunday School Board of the General Synod of the Re- formed Church in the United States; greetings from visit- ing ministers; closing hymn, No. 725, "Jesus, Savior, Pi- lot Me ;"' Lord's Prayer; doxology ; benediction, by Dr. Clever; postlude, "March in E Flat," E. Batiste.
Both Dr. Clever and Dr. Miller spoke in a helpful and inspiring way concerning Sunday School work. Greetings were given by Rev. J. F. Moyer, pastor of the First Reformed Church, and Rev. C. E. Creitz, associate pastor of St. Paul's Memorial Reformed Church.
On Tuesday evening, March 16, the anni- versary proper was held. This was by far the best attended service of the whole jubilee cele- bration. The pastor preached the anniversary sermon, using for his text Acts 6: 5, 8, 15; 7 : 55, 59,60; 22: 20. He spoke of St. Ste- phen as the patron saint of the congregation, not in the sense of protector or benefactor, but as a noble Christian example, whose spirit and life we should ever strive to imitate. He spoke of the faith of the founders and early members of the congregation who laid the foundations broad and deep upon which we are now build-
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ing the superstructure. Mr. Dickert gave a brief history of the congregation from the be- ginning to the present time, which it is not ne- cessary to repeat here, because this whole vol- ume is an elaboration of it.
In the course of his sermon Rev. Mr. Dick- ert paid the following tribute to his predeces- sor : " Dr. Gerhard gave personal oversight to the work of erecting the new church, and his master mind and eagle eye looked after every detail of the structure. The exacting work and exposure incident to this supervision under- mined his health, and for but a few short years, with shattered and declining health, was he per- mitted to minister unto his people and to lead them in their worship in the beautiful church. He built his life into the church, as well as into the congregation, and it stands as a monument to his faithful and self-sacrificing service of his Master."
The event to which every one had looked forward for a number of years, for which much labor had been expended and many liberal of- ferings given, was the burning of the mortgage. When the new church was dedicated, Novem- ber 19, 1899, there was a debt of $14,000 rest-
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ing upon it. In 1902 $1,000 was paid on it, leaving a balance of $13,000 when the new pas- tor took charge of the work. The following payments were made upon the mortgage during Mr. Dickert's pastorate : 1903, $1,000; 1904, $1,500; 1905, $2,500; 1906, $2,000; 1907, $3,000; 1908, $1,500; 1909, $1,500, the bal- ance. The mortgage was burned by Mr. Dick- ert while the congregation stood and chanted " Te Deum Laudamus."
A tablet in memory of Dr. Gerhard was then unveiled by Mr. Dickert. It is a bronze tablet 18 by 30 inches in size, placed on the wall back of the pulpit, to the right of and above the altar, with the following inscription in raised letters :
In loving memory of Calvin Seibert Gerhard, D. D., First Pastor of this Church, March 16, 1884-October 29, 1902. Born October 3, 1845. Died'October 29, 1902. "I am the Resurrection and the Life." -John 11: 25 .-
The Rev. Andrew H. Smith, of Tomsbrook, Va., a son of the congregation, was present and spoke of the early history of the congregation, and of his appreciation of the work and influ- ence of Dr. Gerhard.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
CALVIN SEIBERT GERHARD, D.D.
FIRST PASTOR OF THIS CHURCH. MARCH 16,1884 TO OCTOBER 29,1802 BORN, OCTOBER 3.1845 DIED, OCTOBER 29,1902.
TAM THE RESURRECTION, AND THE LIFE.
JOHN 11: 26
MEMORIAL TABLET TO REV. C. S. GERHARD, D. D. .
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Rev. W. B. Burk, President of the Reading Ministerial Association, was present and ex- tended the cordial greetings and hearty con- gratulations of that body.
The following is the order of service in de- tail :
"Now Thank we All Our God," invisible choir ; pre- lude, "Fanfare," Th. Dubois; invocation, by the pastor ; hymn, No. 277, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" (con- gregation standing); Psalm 84; Scripture Lessons, St. Matthew 13: 24-33, Revelation 21: 1-7, Rev. A. H. Smith; Gloria Patri; prayer, Rev. W. B. Burk; hymn, No. 438, "Come We that Love the Lord;" anniversary sermon, Rev. Thomas W. Dickert; burning of mortgage ; hymn, No. 2, "Te Deum Laudamus;" offertory, "Petit Choeur Triumphale," Chas. Vincent; offering; unveiling of me- morial tablet to Rev. Calvin Seibert Gerhard, D. D .; hymn, No. 452, "Jesus, I Live to Thee;" address, Rev. Andrew H. Smith, pastor Harrisville Reformed Charge, Tomsbrook, Va., a son of the congregation ; greetings from visiting ministers; closing hymn, No. 680, "Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing;" Lord's Prayer; doxology; benediction, Rev. Andrew H. Smith; postlude, "Post- lude in A," Victor Hammerel.
The service on Wednesday evening, March 17, was devoted to the choir and the Ladies' Aid Society, and both organizations attended in a body. This order of service was carried out :
Prelude, "March in B Flat," Victor Hammerel; invo- cation, by the pastor; hymn, No. 136, "Stand Up ! Stand Up for Jesus!" Psalm 100; Scripture Lessons, St. Luke 10: 38-42, James 2: 14-26, Rev. W. E. Harr; prayer, Rev.
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W. E. Harr; cantata by the choir, '"Song of Thanksgiv- ing," first part (words by Shapcott Wensley, music by J. H. Maunder); address, Prof. William F. Curtis, President Allentown College for Women, Allentown, Pa .; hymn, No. 230, "Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All;" offering; greetings from visiting ministers; cantata by the choir, "Song of Thanksgiving," second part; doxology ; bene- diction, Rev. C. E. Kistler; postlude, "March in C," E. Batiste.
The cantata rendered by our choir was of a high order, and was well rendered. Prof. Wm. F. Curtis, President of Allentown College for Women, spoke on " Woman's Work." Greet- ings and congratulations were given by Rev. C. E. Kistler, pastor of Alsace Lutheran Church, and Rev. Wm. E. Harr, pastor of Faith Re- formed Church.
Thursday evening, March 18, was mission- ary evening, in honor of the Missionary Society and the Mission Band. The Mission Band sang a beautiful missionary hymn. Rev. Charles E. Schaeffer, pastor of St. Mark's Reformed Church and General Superintendent of Home Missions, spoke on " Home Missions ;" Rev. Christopher Noss, D. D., Professor of Systematic Theology in the Theological Seminary at Lancaster, spoke on " Foreign Missions," and Miss S. Emma Zie- mer, returned missionary from China, spoke
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briefly on the work in that country. The three addresses were greatly enjoyed, and added much to the success of Jubilee Week. Greetings were brought by Rev. S. R. Bridenbaugh, D. D., pastor of Second Reformed Church ; Rev. Elam J. Snyder, pastor of Grace (Alsace) Reformed Church, and Rev. Lee M. Erdman, pastor of St. Thomas' Reformed Church.
The complete order of service of the evening was as follows :
Prelude, "Prelude in B Flat," James Lyon; invoca- tion, by the pastor; hymn, No. 693, " Onward, Christian Soldiers;" Psalm 2; Scripture Lessons, St. John 10: 7-18, Ephesians 6: 10-20, Rev. E. J. Snyder; prayer, Rev. S. R. Bridenbaugh, D. D .; anthem, "How Lovely are the Mes- sengers," Mendelssohn; address, "Home Missions," Rev. Chas. E. Schaeffer, pastor St. Mark's Reformed Church, Reading, Pa., and General Superintendent of Home Mis- sions of the Reformed Church in the United States; hymn, by Mission Band ; address, "Foreign Missions," Rev. Christophor L. Noss, D. D., Professor of Systematic The- ology in the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in the United States, Lancaster, Pa .; offertory, "Reverie," M. C. Baldwin; offering; hymn, No. 143, " Christ for the World we Sing;" address, Miss S. Emma Ziemer, returned missionary from China; contralto solo, Miss Florence Barron; greetings from visiting ministers; closing hymn, No. 109, " Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun ;"' benediction, Professor Noss ; postlude, "Grand Chorus," E. Lemaigne.
The Young People's service was held on Friday evening, March 19, representing the
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Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, the Junior Christian Endeavor Society, and the Ushers' Association, all of which organizations marched into the service in a body. Mr. A. J. Shartle, General Secretary of the Pennsylvania C. E. Union, and a member of the congre- gation, spoke on "Christian Endeavor," and Rev. Theodore F. Herman, pastor of Salem Re- formed Church, Allentown, Pa., and President of Eastern Synod of the Reformed Church in the United States, spoke on " Young Men and the Church." Both addresses were eloquent and made a good impression. The special fea- tures of the service were a selection by a mixed chorus representing the Christian Endeavor So- ciety, a hymn by the Junior Christian Endeavor Society, and a selection by the male chorus of the Ushers' Association. Greetings were given by Rev. Luther Brownmiller, associate pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church.
This order of service was followed :
Prelude, "Processional in C," E. Batiste; invocation, by the pastor; hymn, No. 157, "Oh, for a Closer Walk with God;" Psalm 1; Scripture Lessons, St. Luke 18: 18-30, 1 John 2: 12-17; prayer, by the pastor; hymn, No. 354, "More Love to Thee, O Christ; address, A. J. Shartle, General Secretary of the Pennsylvania Christian Endeavor
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Union ; selection by chorus ; offering ; exercise by the Junior Christian Endeavor Society; address, Rev. Theo- dore F. Herman, pastor Salem Reformed Church, Allen- town, Pa., and President of the Eastern Synod of the Re- formed Church in the United States; selection by male chorus; greetings from visiting ministers; closing hymn, No. 419, "So Let Our Lips and Lives Express;" benedic- tion, Rev. Theodore F. Herman ; postlude, "Festival March."
On Sunday morning, March 21, Rev. John C. Bowman, D. D., Professor of Practical The- ology in the Theological Seminary at Lancas- ter, Pa., preached a most eloquent and edifying sermon on Luke 24: 48, " Ye are witnesses of these things."
The following "Anniversary Hymn," com- posed by the pastor for this occasion, was sung at both the morning and evening services to the tune "Aurelia," No. 441 in the Reformed Church Hymnal :
Oh, God, our Heavenly Father, In gratitude we raise
Our joyful hearts and voices To sing this hymn of praise. We thank Thee for the blessings These years have brought from Thee;
We celebrate with gladness Our Silver Jubilee.
We thank Thee that Thy favor Has blest the works here wrought;
And that Thou hast accepted The off'rings we have brought.
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We laid upon Thine altar Our faith and hope and love, And now the precious harvest Is giv'n us from above.
We praise Thee for the visions Our souls have here beheld; And every precious promise Our childlike faith has spelled. We learned to know our Savior Far better than before;
And guided by His Spirit We'll love Him more and more.
Watch o'er us in the future And keep us ever true; And help us, O our Father, Still greater things to do. Until life's work is finished And cares are laid aside, Oh, let Thy benediction Upon us all abide.
The complete morning service was as fol- lows :
Prelude, " Prayer," Victor Hammerel; invocation, by the pastor; Kyrie (congregation kneeling); Confession and Declaration of Pardon; hymn, No. 334, " Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty ;"' Psalm 122; anthem, "Praise the Lord, O my Soul," R. Smart; Scripture Lessons, St. John 6 : 1-14, Galatians 4 : 21-31 ; Gloria Patri ; Creed; prayer, by the pastor ; announcements ; "Anniversary Hymn;"' sermon, Rev. John C. Bowman, D. D., Profes- sor Practical Theology in the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in the United States, Lancaster, Pa .; prayer, Dr. Bowman; offertory, "Pastorale," Zipoli; of-
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fering; offertory hymn, No. 617, " Praise to God, Immor- tal Praise;" closing hymn, No. 107, "Abide Among Us with Thy Grace;" benediction, Dr. Bowman; postlude, " Scherzino," A. G. Colborn.
Dr. Bowman and Dr. Musser deliverad brief addresses in the Sunday School in the after- noon. The special prayer and praise service of the Christian Endeavor Society was led by Mr. John D. Heck, chairman of the Prayer Meeting Committee. An impressive address was given by Rev. H. Y. Stoner. He was followed by Dr. C. J. Musser.
At the closing service of Jubilee Week on Sunday evening the sermon was preached by Rev. C. J. Musser, D. D., editor of the " Re- formed Church Messenger," Philadelphia, and it was a fitting climax to the series of excellent services which marked the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary. He preached on John 21 : 25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written." Rev. H. Y. Stoner, a son of the congregation, delivered a brief address, with much feeling referring to his connection with
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St. Stephen's and the influence which Dr. Ger- hard exerted upon him.
The following statistics were read by the pastor at this service: During Dr. C. S. Ger- hard's pastorate, from March 16, 1884, to Oc- tober 29, 1902-Baptisms, 566; confirmed, 568 ; received by certificate and reprofession, 732; total number of members received by Dr. Ger- hard, 1,300; contributions for benevolence, $7,- 018; for congregational purposes, $63,549; membership at the close of Dr. Gerhard's pas- torate, 752; Sunday School, 860.
During Rev. Thomas W. Dickert's pastorate, from November 1, 1902, to March 16, 1909- Baptisms, 415; confirmed, 310; received by certificate and reprofession, 306; total number received by Mr. Dickert to date, 616; contribu- tions for benevolence, $6,591 ; for congregational purposes, $40,709 ; present membership of con- gregation, 1,160; Sunday School, 1,285.
Total for twenty-five years-Baptisms, 981; confirmed, 878; certificate and reprofession, 1,- 038; total number of members during twenty- five years, 1,916 ; contributions for benevolence, $13,609 ; for congregational purposes, $104,- 258; grand total for all purposes, $117,867.
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The following order of worship was used at this closing service of the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary :
Prelude, "Berceuse in A," G. Delbruck ; opening hymn, No. 214, "Nearer, my God, to Thee" (congregation standing); invocation, by the pastor; prayer; Psalm 24; anthem, " Hark, Hark, my Soul," Shelly; Scripture Les- sons, St. John 15: 1-14, Romans 12: 1-21, Rev. H. Y. Sto- ner; Gloria Patri; Creed; prayer, Rev. H. Y. Stoner; an- nouncements; "Anniversary Hymn;" sermon, Rev. C. J. Musser, D. D., editor of " Reformed Church Messenger;" prayer, Dr. Musser; offertory, "Pilgrims' Chorus" from Tannhaeuser, Wagner; offering ; offertory hymn, No. 361, "We Give Thee but Thine Own;"' closing hymn, No. 360, "Blest be the Tie that Binds;" doxology ; benediction, Rev. H. Y. Stoner; postlude, "Fanfare in G minor," E. L. Ashford.
The church was beautifully decorated for this occasion with potted plants and cut flowers, artistically arranged in the pulpit and chancel, and with bunting representing the Church col- ors, and the American and Christian Endeavor flags, and electric and gas effects representing some of the organizations of the church, and bringing prominently before the congregation the figures 1884 and 1909, and the numbar 25 made of groups of incandescent lights.
The music rendered by Mr. J. Wilson Klein, the organist, and the anthems and cantata, were all of a high order, and added a great deal to
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the excellent character of the whole week's ser- vices.
The sermons and addresses were all of such rare excellence that it is impossible to charac- terize them individually without using the same terms of commendation and praise.
The first twenty-five years of the life of St. Stephen's Reformed Church is recorded history, and it is a record in which we may take par- donable pride, but the work is not by any means all accomplished, and if we go hopefully for- ward, continuing to build on the splendid foun- dations of the past, trusting in God for guid- ance and help, we shall be able to make a still better record in the future, so that, in the provi- dence of God, the Golden Jubilee of the con- gregation may have a still better story to tell.
Let us not too much pride ourselves in the achievements of the past, nor fold our hands in idleness, but let the words of St. Paul be the motto of every member of St. Stephen's in mak- ing her future history : "Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
CHAPTER XI THE PASTORS OF THE CONGREGATION
D URING the first twenty-five years of its history St. Stephen's Re- formed congregation knew but-two pastors. The first of these was Rev. Calvin S. Gerhard, D. D., who organized the congregation on March 16, 1884, and served it faithfully until the time of his de- parture to his heavenly reward, October 29, 1902. His successor, whom he helped to select, is Rev. Thomas W. Dickert, who has served the congregation since November 1, 1902.
The history of St. Stephen's would not be complete without a brief sketch of these pastors.
REV. CALVIN SEIBERT GERHARD, D. D .*
Rev. Calvin Seibert Gerhard, D. D., was born in Nockamixon township, near Kintners- ville, Bucks county, Pa., October 3, 1845. His great-great-grandfather, Frederick Gerhard, em-
* An extended sketch of the career of the first pastor may be found in "The Life of the Rev. Calvin S. Gerhard, D. D.," a book of 256 pages, edited by his successor, in which he is spoken of by his friends as a man, as a student, as a Christian minister, as a pastor, in his relation to the Church at large, as a theologian, and as an author. This book was published in the fall of 1904, and has had a large sale.
14
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igrated from Longenselbold, Hesse Cassel, Ger- many, to America in 1837, and settled in Berks county, Pa. He was a staunch supporter of the Reformed faith.
Calvin Seibert was the fifth of the eight children born to the Rev. William T. Gerhard and his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Seibert. His home training was of an exceptionally high order and helped to determine the choice of his life's work. He at- tended the public schools of his native county, in Durham township, to which the family re- moved a few years after his birth. In 1859 his father accepted a call to become pastor of a number of country congregations near Lancas- ter, Pa., and the family removed to that city in the spring of that year. One of the determin- ing factors which prompted the father to make a change of pastorates was the educational ad- vantages afforded his five sons, all of whom at- tended and graduated from Franklin and Mar- shall College at Lancaster.
Calvin attended the Lancaster High School for several years, and prepared for admission into the college in 1861. Early during his col- lege course he developed a fondness for read-
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ing, writing and public speaking. He thought seriously of becoming a lawyer, but also had a strong conviction that he ought to enter the Christian ministry. As time went by he felt more and more convinced that he must become a minister, and decided to make that his calling in life. He graduated from Franklin and Mar- shall College in 1865 with the highest honors, which he shared with T. O. Stem, being also the valedictorian of his class. Of the five sons of this noble family two entered the ministry, two the medical profession, and one died while a middler in the Theological Seminary.
After teaching one year respectively at Fay- etteville, Franklin county, Pa., and Oley Acad- emy, Friedensburg, Berks county, Pa., in the fall of 1867 he entered the Theological Semi- nary of the Reformed Church at Mercersburg, Pa., from which he graduated in 1870.
He accepted a call to become pastor of the First Reformed Church in Sunbury, Pa., and was ordained and installed on October 4, 1870. He entered upon his work with great energy, and met with decided success.
After laboring in his new field a little more than a year, he took unto himself a helpmeet,
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Miss Emma Elizabeth Glase, of Friedensburg, Berks county, Pa., to whom he was united in holy matrimony on October 12, 1871.
Mr. Gerhard was a tactful and affectionate pastor, an interesting and forceful preacher, and a scholarly and convincing essayist. He was a systematic student and contributed a number of articles to the Church periodicals. During the nine years of his pastorate at Sunbury he con- tributed six important articles to the " Reformed Church Messenger" and three scholarly essays to "The Mercersburg Review." The titles of the latter were " True Conversion and Religious Experience" (July, 1874) ; "Apostolic Succes- sion" (July, 1875) ; and "Life Beyond the Grave" (April, 1878).
When he came to Sunbury, the congrega- tion had only 130 members. He did faithful work, and, although the growth was not phe- nomenal, due to local conditions, he had the pleasure of reporting a membership of 193 at the end of his pastorate there.
He made many improvements in the church services during his pastorate. Through his ef- forts a fine parsonage was built and paid for,
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which was quite an undertaking for so small a congregation.
Although his first pastorate had been a pleas- ant and successful one, he felt constrained to leave Sunbury and to take charge of a mission with 157 members, known as Trinity Reformed Church, in Columbia, Pa. He began his work there on July 1, 1879, and entered upon it with great zeal. During a brief pastorate of four years the parsonage was cleared of debt, and the congregation became self-sustaining, and increased to a membership of 185. Although he was busy with his pastoral work, he found time to contribute a lengthy article to the "Re- formed Church Messenger" of June 8, 1881, on "Translations of the Bible," and one to the " Reformed Quarterly Review" for April, 1882, on "Christian Education and the Public Schools." During this period he also served as a member of the Columbia School Board.
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